GEORG Wiedemann grappled with the chopsticks. The dim sum from heaven was getting cold and his four companions had already rolled up their sleeves up.'Like this?' the visitor asked of host chef Josef Budde.
The guest, hours fresh from Germany, sat in the cosy chefs' dining room of the Grand Hyatt, ready to sample spinach soup, roast duck and noodles, and extol the virtues of sour wine.
Executive chef Budde dashed in and out, bringing steamer baskets and whisking plates, making the kind of fuss that only perfectionists or mothers do.
The German language was getting a workout from colleagues Martin Allies, general manager of Peak Cafe and Cafe Deco, guest chef Holger Jacobs, and Budde.
They smoothed over details of the menu that was to be served the next evening at a gastronomic society dinner.
The common denominator in the menu of seven courses was vinegar.